Autoharp.



J. W. VAN HOY.

AUTOHARP.

APPLICATION mu) JULY 22,1914.

1,171,484. Pdtented Feb. 15,1916.

Witnesses Inventor %5%%% yfizze 14 THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH-C0., WASHINGTCIN, D. c.

Attorneys JOHN W. VAN HOY, OF CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA.

AUTOHARP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed July 22, 1914. Serial No. 852,408.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. VAN 1103?, a citizen of the United States, residing at Concord, in the county of Cabarrus and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Autoharp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to autoharps and the like instruments and more particularly to an attachment whereby different chords can be played by the depression of mute or damper bars and then sounding those strings out of engagement with the attachment.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an attachment which can be adjusted and applied to different instruments.

A further object is to provide an attachment of this character which is simple, durable and eliicient, cheap to manufacture, and which can be readily placed in or removed from position.

Another object is to provide an attachment of this type which will not scar or otherwise mutilate the instrument to which it is applied.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is atransverse section through an instrument having the present improvements combined therewith, the positions of the attaching clips when out of use being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a section through the attachment on line A B Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates side blocks connected by a top strip 2, these blocks being adapted to extend down the sides of an instrument C while the strip 2 is adapted to extend across the instrument above the strings S. Each of the blocks 1 has an inwardly projecting portion adapted to bear downwardly upon the instrument C and this inwardly projecting portion, which has been shown at 3, is provided with parallel channels or pockets 4 within which are slidably mounted the ends of damper bars 5 extending across the instrument and above the strings S. Each bar 5 is slidably mounted on centering pins 6 extending through the ends thereof and secured within the pockets 4, each pin being provided with a spring 7 which yieldingly supports the adjacent end of the bar 5 located on the pin. The bars 5 are provided, on their bottom faces, with strips 8 of sound deadening material such as felt, these strips being so arranged and of such length as to engage certain selected strings S when the bar 5 is pushed downwardly so that those strings left free will produce a predetermined chord. Each bar is provided, at its center, with a stem 9 slidably mounted within the top strip 2 and a key or button 10 is provided at the upper end of each stem whereby said stem and its bar can be depressed ilieadily by placing a finger on the button or Straddling each of the blocks 1 is a spring clip 11 designed to swing downwardly so as to engage the bottom of the instrument C and thus clamp the blocks 1 tightly upon the body where it will be held fixed relative thereto. As shown in the drawings. the blocks 1 and the clips 11 are provided with protecting pieces 12 of felt or other material whereby scarring of the instrument C is prevented.

It will be obvious that the instrument C can be played Without the use of the at tachment simply by disengaging the clips 11 from said instrument whereupon the blocks 1 and the parts connected thereto can be lifted out of position. \Vhenever it is desired to use the chord selecting attachment, it is merely necessary to place the blocks 1 on the side portions of the body of the instrument after which the clips 11 can be shifted into engagement with the instrument as shown by full lines in Fig. 1. By then depressing one bar or another a predetermined chord is selected and this chord will be sounded when the free strings are set in vibration.

It is to be understood that an attachment such as herein described can be made for each type of instrument.

It is to be understood that any desired number 01' bars can be employed and various chords can be selected by the attachment, this being dependent upon the size and location of the sound deadening strips 8.

What is claimed is 1- 1. A chord selecting attachment for musical instruments, including guides for engag ing side portions of a musical instrument, a connection between the guides, each of the guides having parallel pockets therein, damper bars slidably mounted at their ends in the pockets, means for yieldingly supporting the damper bars Within the guides, a stem upon each bar and slidably mounted in the connection, and a key upon each stem,

2. A chord selecting attachment for musi cal instruments, including opposed blocks for engaging the side portions of a musical instrument, clips for binding said blocks upon the side portions of the instrument, yieldingly supported damper bars slidabiy mounted Within the blocks, a connection between the blocks, and means slidably mounted Within the connection for actuating the respective bars.

3. A chord selecting attachment for musi cal instruments, including opposed guide blocks, means carried thereby for detachably and below the connection, and means slidably mounted Within the connection and connected to the bars tor depressing said bars.

In testimony that I claim the toregoing as my own, I have hereto aliixed my signature in the presence oit two Witnesses.

JOHN Vi". VAN H01.

Witnesses:

in E. Snrrson, MARIAN Moons.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

